Seven sure fire ways to know you're going Loony
by RoseScor90
Summary: Have you ever felt that you were going barking mad? And there was no way to stop it? That with an angel leading the way, there really was no chance? Join the club. R&R!
1. Chapter 1

Disaclaimer: Not JK…

Chapter 1: The stumbling

#1: When you start taunting her almost everyday, you know you've started down the path of lunacy.

The Slytherin commonroom, contrary to general opinion, was alive with the din of gossiping students. Each of them spoke in hushed voices, which combined into one annoying whisper. Blaise Zabini stood up from his position on the couch. He had had enough of this noise. He considered retiring to his dorms but gave that up just as soon. It would only be crowded with the rest of the baboons who called themselves his dormmates.

_As if I'd ever stoop as low as to associate myself with those complete idiots_ he shook his head in denial as he wandered along the castle. Even after three years of living here, the castle still held mysteries for him to uncover. As he was passing the corridor by the library, he came up on an intriguing sight.

A girl who looked to be a third year was walking along the corridor opposite him, carrying what seemed to be a cartload of books. Noticing her blue and bronze tie, he dismissed her as one of the nerdy Ravenclaws and turned to head away so that he wouldn't have to meet her. He didn't have the patience for their I-am-always-right-because-the-book-says-so attitude. She laughed all of a sudden and Blaise snapped his head to look at her. Not that the sound of her laughter was appealing but she was…laughing to herself? What person did that? And why hadn't she just shrunk her books? They seemed so heavy!

Against his better judgment, Blaise turned around and came face to face with Luna Lovegood. Her long, wavy honey blond hair was waving in the slight breeze, giving her a kind of halo in the dark corridor. The light from the torches seemed to reflect off her locks, giving her an ethereal appearance. Her translucent sky blue eyes suited her perfectly, but her slight frame was in a firm posture, contradicting her delicateness. Her eyes flashed with concern on first noticing him, before it went back to its normal dreamy expression. Blaise noticed that her eyes flashed brilliantly when expressing emotions.

He shook his head to clear out the curious thoughts. He had never observed any of the females before. Growing up with a mother who went through husbands like cloaks on a rack, he knew about them well enough. And that had helped him avoid the flirty smiles and date offers that had come his way in the past. One would be surprised at the number of invites he got, considering he was just a fourth year. For all the hype, he was neither rich nor from a reputed family. If infamy wasn't considered reputation, that is.

He wasn't as influential as Draco nor was he as wise as Theodore. And so, the fact that so many girls in the school admired him puzzled him.

The girl stepped up the speed of her walk, which was more like skipping than walking. She seemed to be humming to herself as she clutched the books tighter to herself and stopped before him to look up at him. He was atleast a feet taller than her but that didn't seem to affect her. She smiled a disarmingly innocent smile at him but he could see that her eyes were wary. Atleast she could anticipate the danger she was in. His own mouth curled in a smirk and his native Slytherin haughtiness returned.

"Out at this time of the night? In a deserted corridor? Alone? With a Slytherin? Tsk, tsk. Not such a clever maneuver, is it?" he asked as he began walking to her. She took successive steps backward which seemed a difficult task, considering the fact that she had a ton of books in her hand. She brought them close to herself, as if building a barrier between them.

Noticing this, he quickly waved his wand and the books lifted themselves out of her grasp and landed neatly by the side. She visibly straightened now that her hands were free and he could see them move towards her left ear. So quickly she didn't even see it, he lifted the wand that had been stuck behind her ear. Twirling it in his hand, he gazed at her closely, looking for her reaction. There seemed to be none except for the steeling of her eyes. He had been right, her azure blue eyes did flash with emotions. And they were now wide with resolve and an alertness that unsettled him. For the first time in his life, Bliase Zabini realized that he stood before a girl he couldn't charm his way around. The manner in which her eyes regarded him, as if he was nothing more than a curious portrait, proved it to him clearly. For once in his life, he cursed his ability to read people's faces.

A sudden wave hit him then. What in Salazar's name was he doing here? Why was he behaving like a rogue to this girl? It was well known in the castle that among all of Sytherin, Zabini was the most controlled, silent, gentle one. And that was what made him terrifying. And so, his reaction to this lithe girl before him puzzled him to no end.

It was not like him to disarm a stranger for no reason and act so…threateningly. He felt insecure in her presence and that made him act harshly. But of course, he saw that it was wrong, now that his head was cleared once again. It must have been a stimulus, nothing more. He dismissed it and gave her the wand back, taking care not to touch her. He did not want to soil his reputation.

She took her wand and tucked it behind her ear, and a strand of her hair escaped at the movement. Involuntarily, he stepped closer to move her hair behind it and jerked back as if he had been electrocuted. This was wrong. Very wrong. He wasn't supposed to act this way. He was supposed to be the closed off one. Not the other way around.

Squaring his shoulders, he stuck his hands in his pockets, lest they betray him anymore. Looking at the pile of books, he asked in a voice that was thankfully collected, "Why didn't you shrink them?" She seemed surprised that he asked her that and replied in a voice that was surprisingly bold and strong.

"I am not very adept at the engorgio. I shrink them well, it's just the counter spell I have trouble with. I enlarge them to twice the original size. Makes reading them easier but the librarian seems to disagree" she shrugged her shoulders in such an off-handed, innocent manner that he couldn't help the smirk that played out on his face.

"You could levitate them" he suggested, not knowing why he was talking about such a simple thing this elaborately. That was so unlike him.

"And pick out people's heads? No, thanks" she said and the sarcastic lacing to her voice made him raise his eyebrows. Of course, she was a Ravenclaw, she is supposed to be witty.

"Why were you laughing to yourself back then?" he asked, tilting his head towards the corridor.

"Oh, I was laughing at the Nargles" she replied non-chalantly, and he was stumped for a moment.

"Nargles?" His curiosity overrode his mind and he wondered what other uncharacteristic thing he would do within the night.

"They are invisible creatures that tickle you if you are alone. Hogwarts is infested with them" she explained, and it was her completely serious expression that made him stop his laughter.

"Oh" He suddenly wished he hadn't asked her that. Somehow, her answer made her seem more child-like and he did not like the sudden softening his heart was feeling.

"I should be leaving. It will be curfew soon" she said and tried to lift her book stack which seemed rather reluctant to aid her. The book suddenly seemed to loose weight and she looked at the guy beside her in surprise.

"You'll never reach your commonroom before curfew at this rate" he replied by way of an explanation before turning in the direction of the Ravenclaw commonroom. His walk was fast and he was taller than her by almost a feet. She had to watch her step so that she could walk beside him. And that rendered conversation impossible.

Blaise took care to keep his stride fast paced so that he could avoid looking at her or speaking with her at any cost. At the portrait hole, she had departed from him with a soft good night and thanks and he was left standing outside, stupidly staring at the door she had gone through.

Before he had reached his own dorms, Blaise had tried to figure out her identity a thousand times. He could just have asked her but he felt that he'd appear stupid if he did so. He entered the commonroom to the unchanging sight of his 'gang' chatting.

Draco's snide voice was commenting on someone and he barely registered the words 'loony' and 'Quibbler' before it came crashing down on him.

_Had he really been friendly towards Luna Lovegood?_

That night Blasie made an important decision. One that he knew he had to make if he was to go through school without making a damn fool of himself. He had to make sure he never let Lovegood get near him.

He did not trust himself around her. That much was apparent from the days events. He would have to make sure he never lost control like that again. And what way was better than good old Slytherin mockery?

Blaise slept with a smirk frozen on his face, which turned into an unconscious smile when her face appeared in his dreams.

It is sufficient to say that Luna's life was living hell from that day onwards.

A/n: Review!


	2. Corridor confrontations

Disclaimer: Not JK…

Chapter 2: Corridor confrontations

#2: When you have the urge to stop and talk rather than hex and walk away, you know the path is imperio-ing you

"Walked into a wall, Loony?" I sighed at the snarky voice that greeted me outside the library. This was one of the main reasons I preferred to stay in the library until curfew. But Ginny had insisted that she needed my company by the birch tree today. Apparently, 'I wasn't getting any sunlight and would be mistaken for Draco Malfoy's sister if I didn't change that soon'.

Turning around, I came face to face with the bunch of Slytherins I knew were in Harry's year. Why they bullied me specifically, I never knew. There were plenty of students in their own year to pick on. And I'd heard that Slytherins loved to taunt first years. So it was with a confused expression that I faced the group of five that had called out to me.

To say that they were a group would be wrong. You could say that they were just a collection of students that just wore the same badge on their cloaks and had the same color tie. It would be apparent to the onlooker that there was no uniformity in them. No equality. Draco Malfoy, who stood to the front, was obviously the leader. He even had two henchmen by his side. If they were trying to be intimidating, they were failing miserably. They looked more like over-stuffed toys rather than brutes and I had to fight a smile at that. Theodore Nott, who stood right at the back was looking away, as if he wasn't interested in what was going on in front of him, which was what he usually did. And the last but certainly not the least of my problems, was Blaise Zabini. The git stood right at the middle of the group, staring at me with his intense green eyes that never quite lost their ability to unsettle me. Not in a nice way, though. There wasn't a nice bone in his body.

You might think that I'm being horribly rude but, you would be the same too, if you were constantly pranked, taunted and bullied almost everyday for two whole years. And _him_! Don't even get me started on his comments and remarks. After that night in my third year, he had taken to confronting me in the middle of corridors at random times. It wouldn't have been bad, really, if only he could keep his mouth shut. Try as I might, I couldn't think of a reason for him to be rude to me. As far as my memory goes, I had been nothing but perfectly well mannered that day. I had actually been happy that Ginny had come to study with me. Why would he do this to me, when he seemed satisfied to ignore the rest of the students? The question seems clichéd and stupid, but, _Why me?_

Knowing I wasn't going to get an answer by looking at his impassive face, I tried to concentrate on Malfoy who stood nearest me, his infamous smirk in place. I was almost bored with him now. The guy seriously needed to get a move on and find someone else to go bother. Casting a silent protego on myself, I waited for the first onslaught of spells, because I knew that was what would come.

Realizing that I had a shield charm up, Malfoy stopped short and turned away with a smart aleck remark. I was left alone in the corridor. Or that was what I thought before a low, smooth voice broke through my train of thoughts.

"You never fight back, do you?" I jumped at the sound of his voice. There was that ever present tone in his voice that indicated that he was hiding something. As if I was hearing a riddle, as if there was a hidden layer of meaning to his words. Shaking aside my stupid observations, I turned to him and said, "I have no time to respond to the silly remarks of a bunch of baboons"

"Is that what you think of us? Of me? You really believe we are that harmless, do you? We can't have you thinking like that now…Hmm" He began walking towards me, and I was hit with a sense of nostalgia. Why did he always feel the need to corner me? It was always the same when we were alone. He'd corner me, make some cryptic observation, move and walk away before anyone else could notice.

Ginny and Hermione had been the only ones I'd told this to and they found something horribly funny about it all. And they kept insisting that I should not take the teasing seriously and that it was just a ruse. For what? They never answer, turning as obscure as the git before me.

Hitting the wall behind me, I looked him straight in the eye, noticing the slight flecks of grey that made them seem a bit more expressionless that they already were.

"You intrigue me Lovegood. It normally isn't very difficult for me to know what someone is thinking, or is thinking of doing. You on the other hand, you never do quite what I expect you to"

"You're no Legilimens and I'm not your puppet." I replied and bit my tongue. I had been so sure I could handle this without childish retorts. His eyes lit up with amusement and I was shocked for a moment. I had never seen anything but disgust in them over the years and I had gotten used to the insults and hexes his 'friends' threw my way, but this was new.

"Even so, you defy my guesses" He commented and try as I might I couldn't stop my heart's sprinting. Something had changed. He never stopped to talk to me before. It was just stop, hex, insult and walk away. _Why was he suddenly talking to me?_ The question arose in my mind and I knew for sure that I wouldn't like the answer.

"I never knew you took so much time to examine my actions, Zabini. Careful, or you might sound like you're stalking me or something"

"And what if it happened that I was?" he asked, and a smirk broke out on his face. It was weird, seeing him smirk. I had never seen him being so forward before and frankly, it scared me.

"Whatever it is that you're trying to pull over me, stop it. It's not working"

"Oh, I think it is" He moved forward until I was literally caged between the wall and him. I chided myself for letting this happen. I mean, how many times will I have to meet him to learn not to move towards the wall?

Lifting my chin with a hand, his eyes stared into mine intently for a minute before widening. He stood back abruptly. His entire manner changed and the cold wall expression was back. Without a parting shot that was his usual, he went away and it might have been a trick of the light but I thought I sensed nervousness in his stride.

If only I could have learned of his thoughts that day instead of a few years later, I would have done the sane thing and ran away to the opposite side of the world.

A/n: review!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not JK…

A/n: This chapter is utterly stupid and I'm not at all happy with the way it went but this is necessary for the next chapters to progress so… what I'm saying is that this is not the best of my chapters, so hang in there!

Chapter : 3

#3: When you're the one who levitates her sock from the castle ceiling rather than the one sticking it there, you know you're bringing it upon yourself

The Great Hall was filled with the merry chatter of the students as dinner progressed. Christmas spirit was thick in the air despite the threat of the Dark Lord. Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs mingled with each other, discussing holiday plans and last minute shopping agendas. Even the Slytherin table, which was usually the most silent of the four was openly cheerful, and some even thought they spotted a smile on their forever impassive faces. Towards the end of the table where the sixth and seventh years sat, the excitement was a bit low and one particular group of them were especially aloof.

Blaise sat still, looking at his half full plate in distaste. He knew he'd never be able to finish his dinner. He had lost his appetite a while back. He had learnt to pretend as if he was eating when people began wondering. But today, he was fed up. He didn't even make an attempt at eating; stood up abruptly and left without a word to his friends. And noone thought to question him. They were too preoccupied with their own predicaments to bother anyway. If it had been a normal day, Draco would have been the first one to call out to him. Now, he could only offer him a tilt of the head before his soulless eyes turned back to his plate, not seeing anything before him. It pained Blaise to see his once arrogant and proud friend reduce himself to this bleak mess. But there was nothing he could do about it. Before he left the Hall, he turned one last time to look back and found himself looking into the probing eyes of Thoedore Nott. His normal disinterested look was replaced with a distinct twinkle that told him that he knew something was up.

Shrugging, he left the Hall and began wandering the castle, as had become his habit. The castle was always deserted this time and he welcomed the loneliness. The full moon was shining in all its glory outside, casting an illusory glow on all the objects it touched. Blaise stopped by the windowsill, staring at the scenery outside. This part of the castle was closest to the forbidden forest and his eyes were drawn to them. The trees swayed in the wind that was blowing, making them appear darker than before. A sorrowful howl from the forest shook him and he quickly walked away, not wishing to look at its source.

As he wandered, Blaise tried to come to a conclusion about his Christmas holidays. He did not wish to spend it in his mother's manor. He didn't hate her but that did not mean that he would subject himself to her presence for a whole fortnight. That would be a nightmare. His mother's painted face rose in his mind, false smile intact. It was almost too easy for him to picture his mother murdering someone. He knew that there was much more to her than just an unlucky woman whose husbands seemed to die away soon after marriage. But of course, he wouldn't dream of accusing her of it. She was his mother afterall and no matter what, family came first. But that did not help him decide in anyway.

Turning a corner, he came upon a sight that was both familiar and new. Luna Lovegood stood in the middle of the corridor, looking up at the ceiling in despair. She kept waving her wand at it but it was apparent from the sulky expression on her face that whatever she was trying wasn't working. His feet moved down the corridor of their own accord and he tried to ignore her as he took a side route.

"Argh!" her exclamation caught his attention, making him hesitate. It took all of one second for him to decide before his feet dragged him back to her.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" "Craiceann amach!"

"Derretirse" Luna watched in surprise as the sock she had been trying to bring down floated to her outstretched palm. She turned around to see that Blaise was walking quickly towards her, a frown on his lips. His eyes seemed to glare at her, as if chiding her for something. She stood straight, preparing herself or the hex that would so obviously come. He was becoming too predictable now-a-days. Sighing, she gazed at his face serenely, knowing he hated not being able to predict others' moves. He prided himself on being able to anticipate people's reactions and emotions. Right on cue, an irritation appeared on his face before he hid it behind the usual vacant mask.

"What are you doing here at this time of the night? Don't you know that it's dangerous to be out alone? Do you ever listen to what I say?" he almost shook her in his apprehension, holding her close to him. Luna looked at him in utter surprise. What was he saying? Blaise was behaving quite uncharacteristically and it took Luna a second before she could trust herself to reply without showing off her astonishment.

"That I'm a loony bin? No, thank you" she tried to move away but he refused to let go of her.

"Manhandling? Really, Zabini! Ran out of ways to taunt me with words and hexes, did you?" her voice was unusually scathing, making him take a step back. His eyes expressed his shock clearly and he didn't even bother hiding it. She seemed flustered by the sharp remark herself and using his slack grip on her, quickly left. She was almost at the end of the corridor when she heard hurried footstep behind her and his strained voice calling out to her.

"Luna wait!" she turned and waited as he jogged to where she was standing. He stood still for a minute, looking at the window beside them and Luna considered leaving when his quiet, velvety voice broke the silence between them.

"This is so hard for me to say so I hope this works. What I wanted to say was…That is…" It gave her great amusement to see the all too composed Blaise Zabini at a loss for words. She also had a vague idea about what he was trying to say so she folded her hands and looked at him, trying to pull off an impatient look.

"I apologise for the way I spoke to you. I had no right to yell at you the way I did. What I had actually wanted to say was that these are dangerous times and that you shouldn't be roaming around the castle alone."

"Thanks, Zabini. I really appreciate it" she said and smiled at him. Something seemed to change in his expression and she looked back to ensure that noone was standing behind her. By now, he had noticed the list in her hand and before she could object, drew it out of her grasp.

"What's this?" he asked her as he went through a list that was titled "Lost".

"That's just the list of things I've lost this year. I'm sure I'll find them hanging somewhere in the castle" she replied casually, trying to get the list back.

"How do you loose them in the first place? You don't seem to be that absent minded"

"No. It's just that some think its fun to play treasure hunt with my things"

"Treasure hunt?"

"It's a muggle game"

"What you mean is that they hide away your things, is that it? Why don't you just summon them?"

"I did try it once. After being hit with a thousand different pairs of socks, I gave up" she smiled in earnest now and Blaise felt bad for her. He now understood how it would have been for her when he and the rest of the Slytherins pranked her. He had done it for his own sanity but that, it seemed, had affected her far too much.

"I'm sorry" seeing her confused expression, he clarified, "For all those times. I never thought this teasing would affect you so"

"Oh, that's all right. I didn't mind. Made life here a bit more entertaining. And it was good to have someone pay attention to me. Even if it was just to hex me"

"Oh, come on! I'm sure you have friends from that group Potter ran last year?" he asked, protesting.

"You knew about that?" Luna seemed genuinely surprised and he couldn't help laugh at her naïveté.

"Of course I did. You weren't very secretive about it. I even thought of popping in one day if only to shock everyone" he laughed at her amazed expression. Luna couldn't help but smile. She liked the conversation she was having with him. It proved to her that he was something more than the snide person he had seemed and the fact somehow seemed important to her.

"So why did you never come?"

"Just think about it. Would you consider entering the 'enemy territory' so to speak, alone? Add to that that it was a Defence against the Dark Arts session. Can you blame me for steering clear?"

"You mean you were afraid that we'd have attacked you" she was laughing openly at him now and it didn't bother him as much as he had thought it would.

"I'm not brave enough to stand in front of thirty armed students without a wand, thank you"

"But you didn't tell anyone about it either. Thanks for that"

"I thought it would remain my indirect contribution to opposing Umbridge. The toad of a woman that she was" Blaise shook his head in disgust.

"Was that why you never joined the 'Inquisitorial Squad'?" she asked making quotes in the air and he nodded, explaining.

"It was stupid, really. I mean what did the Ministry think they could do? Hide You-Know-Who in a closet or something?"

Luna burst out laughing, her mind bringing up vivid pictures of Voldemort stuck in a jammed closet. Blaise stared at her in wonder. He really was becoming too interested in her. He realised it, but there was no way to stop himself now. For the first time in his life, Blaise felt confident in doing what he wanted rather than what was good for his reputation.

They were walking towards the Ravenclaw commonroom once again and Luna was hit with a sense of deja vu. Turning to Blaise she asked the one question that had been plaguing her since her third year.

"I've always wanted to ask you something" she began mysteriously.

"What is it? If it is going to be about You-know-who, the answer will most probably be that I don't know" he said in a warning tone that had her back tracking. It suddenly hit her that she was associating herself with the same kind of person she had vehemently despised. She knew for sure that Blaise's left arm would be marred with a life long scar in a few years. She had always known that. But why did that epiphany suddenly hit her like a blizzard?

Seeing her falter in her steps, Blaise stopped and turned to her, unaware of the turmoil inside her. He stepped towards her, glad to see that she did not retreat.

"What is it? You wanted to ask something, did you not?"

"It…It was nothing. I, um…need to get back to my commonroom. And I'd appreciate it if you'd not mention this to anyone else. I don't want you to spoil your eligibility over a meaningless conversation with someone like me"

Blaise was left standing alone in the middle of the corridor, wondering what she had meant. His eligibility? For what? Deciding to let her cool off, he began walking in the opposite direction, instead of going after her like he wanted to. He did not feel like returning to his commonroom and began wandering the castle once again.

The silence of the walls around him gave him room to think things over. He knew now that his attempts to push Luna away from his mind had been a fruitless venture. She already occupied all of his thoughts and he knew his mind wasn't strong enough to dismiss her off.

It had taken him a few years and too many pranks but he now saw Luna for what she really was. And now that he knew, he desperately wanted to know more of her.

Which proved to be the most difficult task over the week, as he tried unsuccessfully to track her down. He could have been trying to catch a gust of mist in his hand for all the success he was having, leaving him frustrated and snappy.

Luna, on the other hand, was busy trying to forget Blaise by hiding in the confines of her dorm. The hiding part had been easy, the forgetting, not at all. No matter how much she tried to think of him as a Death eater, her mind refused, bringing up the memories of his smiling face and his protests as he had defended himself at her accusations. What she had thought would have been an easy task, was proving to be the hardest she had ever done.

She had really tried, going as far as to accept Harry's invitation to the Slug Club party, but even there, she kept glancing behind her back. She did not want to meet him again, but a part of her kept looking for his face and she left quickly, without even bothering to tell Harry.

She was sure Ginny suspected something and Hermione, being the clever devil she was must know something too but thankfully, they remained silent. Luna, for once in her life, looked forward to her Christmas holidays which she had decided to spend in the castle. A fortnight alone in the castle would be ideal for her.

Little did she know that she wasn't going to get any of that quietude in the castle with him in it too.

A/n: Review!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not JK…

Chapter: 4

#4: When you don't run the hell away from the strange animals she pets, you know you're doomed

Christmas at Hogwarts was the most comforting thing in the entire world and Blaise wondered why he had ever wanted to go home to his unwelcoming mother when he could remain blissfully alone in the castle that seemed almost deserted except for the random professor or ghost. Even they seemed to be in the mood for solitude and joy. He swore Professor McGonagall actually smiled at him when she had passed him the other day.

Another thing that had arisen from this holiday had been his constant contact with the headmaster. Though he had lived in the same castle as him and had seen him everyday, he had never spoken with him. The rumors that had circulated in the commonroom about their slightly eccentric headmaster had made sure of that. But now that he was in such close contact with him on a daily basis, Blaise could honestly say that the rumors were over rated. Sure the former transfiguration professor was slightly too optimistic and had a weird streak in him but who didn't? Blaise found that he actually enjoyed his company inspite of his weird anectodes and mysterious implications. He respected the headmaster for not bringing up the subject of the Dark Lord even once during their conversations. May be he already knew his stand in the matter. Word was that the headmaster was a renowned Legilimens and if that was true, he would be relieved of explaining it to him.

He walked by Hagrid's hut and Fang immediately perked its ears. It came trotting down the pumpkin patch, the snow in the way deterring it. It had indeed been a weird day when he had first stumbled upon the rundown hut and Fang had decided to befriend him. Hagrid, it seemed, trusted him exactly as much as his pet did. With a nod to Hagrid who was sitting on the porch, he walked by, Fang now contently trotting beside him, wondering about his affinity towards eccentric humans. At the thought, a sigh escaped him which was part yielding and part relief. Defeat and annoyance over his own lack of self control tried to suppress the overwhelming sense of relief it brought him to think of her.

He stared at the looming band of trees that marked the beginning of the Forbidden Forest. He had been wandering in the grounds farther than he had thought. He hesitated, but a curious neigh drew his attention. Somehow, that sound was pulling at him. Blaise wondered how his curiosity had always been the bane of his own life.

_And of course it would lead me right to the epicenter of my problems_ he chided himself foolishly for not thinking of this sooner. Of course her weird fascination with all creatures would extend to the actually existing ones too. And stupidly, he found that just another reason that endeared him to her. He kicked a stone in frustration at the direction his thoughts were taking. He had accepted that he cared for her after her abrupt retreat had left a sharp pain in the place he thought his heart would have been. But these startling _discoveries_ he was making about himself did not make the admission any easier.

She had been trying to feed a thestral that was a bit too tall for her and had dropped it in surprise when his aimlessly kicked stone had landed near her.

"I know my presence here isn't pleasant to you but you could atleast not try to chase me away with stones" she said before she bent down to pick up the fruit she had dropped, but he was quicker. The words stung but he hid it in the time it took to pick the fruit.

"What gave it away? The scores of hexes I sent your way?" his retort was equally scalding, though his mind was engaged in noting how the pale blue top she wore suited her dreamy eyes flawlessly and how she managed to appear fresh even amidst the gloomy air of the forest, as if she was a glowing unicorn.

Setting aside his involuntary observations he stared at her, waiting for her response. She was still staring at the fruit in his hand, and he handed it hastily to her. Her hand grazed his and she seemed flustered at the contact. A weird urge to hurt him arose in her and she threw the fruit away as if it was a ball of fire. She quickly understood that her plan had backfired when the animal which had been standing between them moved away to pick it up. They stood facing each other, she with her face contorted in a mask of irritation and his, indecipherable as always.

"Hexes? So I should be pleased that it's just a harmless stone and not one of the unforgivables?" she asked, stressing on harmless.

"I'm not a Dark Wizard, Luna" a sliver of hurt escaped his carefully contorted mask.

"Oh! You don't have that horrible tattoo on your arm so that is supposed to make me feel all cozy, huh?"

"I don't understand why you're being so offensive. Will you atleast tell me what I did before you prosecute me?" his voice wasn't loud enough to be a yell, but his piercing tone carried out the effect just as well.

"And I heard you were smart. If you need me to spell it out for you, stay away from me Zabini" she turned to walk into the deeper side of the forest, away from the clearing in which they had been standing. She was jerked away when she felt his hand clasp her wrist and his gruff voice sounded close to her ear. "And what if _can't_ do that?"

"You mean you won't" she felt horribly breathless, and she chided herself for letting herself be affected by him this way.

"Can't. Not won't" his voice caressed her ear and she fought to suppress a shiver.

_This is just another of his tricks. He's just moving to messing with my mind since throwing hexes doesn't work anymore._ She tried hard but somehow her voice sounded unconvincing, even to herself.

"Doesn't make a difference. Doesn't change anything" she tried to escape her hold but he only drew her to him. She was now comfortably nestled within his arms and belatedly realized that she had unconsciously leaned on to him. Straightening herself, she hissed.

"Let me go!"

"Only if you agree to explain why you're behaving this way" his voice sounded amused, infuriating her further.

"I have no need to explain anything to you!"

"I think you do. If you're going to accuse me, I might as well know what you're putting me on trial for. Why did you run away that day? I've been going mad ever since and you don't even bother to…" he bit his tongue before any other incriminating truth could slip out. She seemed to stiffen in response and felt her turn and let her free. It had been a stupid idea to restrain her that way but he hadn't known any other way to make her stay long enough to understand her. The eyes that met his were bright for the most part but he thought he sensed a deeper sense of hurt behind them.

"Why should I bother? What are you to me? What difference are my words going to make? Do you know how absolutely torturous it is to know that nothing you try could work? That all of your effort, time and affection is as useful as drizzle on desert sand?" She was now so close to him that he could have counted the minuscule freckles on her nose if he had wanted to, but he was too enchanted by the way her eyes dazzled. He took a deep breath. It seemed she was intent on talking in riddles. Or may be he understood what she was saying but didn't want to acknowledge it.

"I don't understand"

"Then I see no use in explaining it to you. You have taken it upon yourself to turn a blind eye to anything that displeases you. But let me tell you this, Zabini, you cannot waltz into my life like some kind of Lord and expect me to obey you. I see right through your pretences so you can give up. Starting right about now" she stormed away, stopping near a thestral. She hoped to hear his footsteps and she did, a few minutes later. Only, they were in the opposite direction.

"So you never told me why you were here" his irking drawl was back and she breathed deeply, trying to dispel her annoyance at his attitude. It wouldn't do her any good to loose her composure with him. Trying to keep her voice level, she looked up at him.

The morning sunlight shone on him from a gap in the thick trees, as if a spotlight was cast on him. His usually handsome features were highlighted by the radiance and he looked dangerously striking with his wayward raven hair blowing in the breeze and his hands securely in his pockets. Untimely as it was, she noticed that his eyes were not the original coal blacks she had assumed. They were the deepest of deep blues and looking into them set her heart in a race. And her familiarity with him only seemed to worsen the effect he had on her.

She stayed silent, contemplating why she felt so unlike her when she was with him. To everyone else, she was the dreaming, Quibbler reading, slightly Loony Ravenclaw who was friends with the Golden Trio and Ginny Weasley. With him, she was none of the things other people associated with her. He did not seem to be bothered about her camaraderie with those he considered his enemies, neither did he seem to mind her unusual behaviors. So suddenly she had to chance to retort, she had lost her personality, her world had been turned upside down and he had become her gravity. Luna realized with absolute certainty that if she were to face a boggart now, it would invariably change into the mirror of erised and show her his handsome face smiling at her with warmth.

His impatience was apparent in his stance though he stood absolutely still. Luna marveled at his ability to express himself without any outward actions. Or may be she was just too attuned to him. While she had been thinking these thoughts, her mouth had gone on auto pilot and had answered his question.

"I always come here. I feel a sort of calmness around these creatures" she gestured to the thestrals which were now strolling in the patch they had vacated.

He seemed surprised, as if he hadn't expected her to answer him. And she shouldn't have, with the things he had said and done but somehow, she found she was willing to forgive him for all that, if only…she shook her head in resignation. That wish died long before it was even born.

"I can't?" his incredulous voice interrupted her jumbled thoughts and she raised her confused eyes to meet his amused ones.

"Can't I see them closer?" Blaise repeated for her and she nodded, brushing past him to one of the smaller ones. As he followed her, Blaise wondered why he had asked to see them. He wasn't your everyday pet lover. Sure he did well in Care of Magical Creatures and Fang seemed to prefer him but that was that. There was a reason he did not have an owl. But seeing her interact with them made them seem like the most intriguing things on the planet. Blaise resigned himself to the inevitable fact : Anything associated with Luna would be fascinating to him. It was like he had taken a giant leap from loathing her to adoring her. It wouldn't have unsettled him so much if it hadn't occurred in a span of a second. Blaise realized that he had made the choice when he had decided to seek her out in the hallways. So, he could blame noone but himself for this.

"Let them come to you. They can smell danger so they'll not harm you as long as your intentions are good. I wonder what they'll do about you" she said as she petted the little animal that was at her eye level. The animal leaned into her hand and let out a soft neigh of contentment. Her eyes were immeasurably tender when she looked at it.

"Why do you keep insinuating that I'm You-know-who's reincarnate?" he asked as he warily placed a palm on another animal's mane. It was ice cold, but in a pleasant manner and the creature seemed to genuinely like him as it looked him in the eye and for a moment he thought it even smiled at him. Seeing his consternation, she said, "You're doing fine. He likes you. It's a miracle. I named him Picky for a reason. You should be proud"

Blaise realized that she was avoiding the question and decided to let it go. He did not want another argument with her. Not now, when she was beginning to talk to him rather than shout or snap.

"Thanks" he told the mare and felt incredibly stupid for doing so. But it was worth it when he heard a muted giggle beside him.

"So you like Thestrals especially?"

"Ever since I traveled on one last year" she replied dreamily and it made him glad to see that she felt comfortable around him. He now understood that her dreamy voice was her natural one. The one she used when she was with people she liked and ones she considered her friends.

"Oh, yeah! I heard about that. It was stupid of you to risk something like that but I can se that you did it for your friends?" he ended with a question, looking away from the thestral to gauge her reaction. She merely nodded and he took that as a chance to continue. As long as he kept talking, she couldn't run away.

"The really mean a lot to you, don't they? If you put yourself in so much danger…"

"There was not much danger except that we might have been caught or…" he interrupted before she could go on, "Oh, of course! And the Dark Lord was sharpening his dueling skills on his former professor, was he? Did you take popcorn with you to watch?" he ended in a snap and immediately knew he had said the worst thing possible.

Her reaction puzzled him further. Instead of throwing his words back at him like she always did, she looked shocked, as if she was suddenly drenched with a bucket of ice cold water. He saw her shoulders stiffen, and knew the heart-to-heart was over. So much for tact.

She gave him neither a glance nor a wave as she abruptly left the clearing back to the castle. He could see Fang bark joyously at her and follow her away. Hearing a soft neigh behind him, he looked to find Picky nudging him.

"I don't think anymore confrontation will help" he said softly to the creature and left the forest himself, more confused than he had been entering it.

_Why was she hiding from him? What had happened to make her leave so suddenly?_

A/n: Review!


	5. Goblin Wars and the indomitable wisdom

Disclaimer: Not JK…

Chapter 5: Goblin wars and the indomitable wisdom they offer

#5: When she is the reason you choose a side, you know there's noone for you except her.

"But I don't understand what they got out of it, Professor" Blaise's frustrated voice was heard reverberating through the otherwise vacant halls and a rather deep voice followed it, replying.

"Sometimes, Blaise, you do not make choices for yourself but for those that mean the most to you" Dumbledore explained, his sky blue eyes twinkling wisely behind the half moon spectacles and Blaise had a curious feeling that he wasn't referring to the Centaurs' stand in the goblin wars.

I'm sorry if I sound slow professor, but…"

"On the contrary, you are quite quick in grasping things, Blaise and that is precisely why I'm telling you this." He remained silent for a minute and Blaise thought he had almost forgotten the question when the Headmaster answered.

"The Centaurs, though they had no personal interests in it themselves, sided with the goblins at first during their revolution"

"Because they did not trust humans?"

"To an extent, yes. Their mutual disbelief in the other did have a role to play but that wasn't the vital point. You might have read about how Unicorns are the only other creatures Centaurs trust?"

"Yes, I have Professor, because Centaurs consider them the purest of creatures"

"That is correct, and their loyalty to the Unicorn species is immeasurably strong. At that point in time, hunting of Unicorns was considered legal and Unicorn hair and blood, or any part of the creature for that matter, was considered to bring the owner good luck. The entire race was slowly declining and the Centaurs had no chance but to sit and watch as the creatures they considered their loved ones were hunted down mercilessly. They thought they could save such blasphemy if they joined forces with the goblins and won over wizards"

"But why did they shift loyalties so suddenly in between?" Blaise was so engrossed in the story that he didn't even notice that he wasn't addressing the headmaster properly. Dumbledore didn't seem to mind though and explained to him patiently. It had been too long since he had taught someone like Blaise. Someone who was interested enough in the history of wizarding kind. Someone who understood that what had been had molded what they were and would, in time, shape what they would become. A child shrewd enough to decipher the lessons the pages of the past endowed.

"Ah, I guess I had a small hand in that dealing" Dumbledore seemed abashed, but Blaise seemed dumbfounded.

"You were there during the goblin wars?" recollecting himself he said "Sorry professor, that was awfully out of line and disrespectful of me"

"I find it rather refreshing, Blaise so you don't have to chide yourself about it. As for the goblin wars, yes I did play a tiny part in it. What do you think is the best way to lure people to your side?"

"Tempt them with their innermost desires" the answer was quick and confident and made Dumbledore smile.

"Spoken like a true Slytherin and I do not mean it as a reprimand. Nevertheless, your answer was what I sought to achieve. A law was passed by the Wizengamot terming the hunting of Unicorns illegal and punishable with the Dementor's Kiss. With their purpose fulfilled, the Centaurs felt a momentary gratitude towards humans which we used to our advantage in putting out the revolution"

"That was pure tact, Professor" he was smirking. Such incidents always left him feeling high and superior but Dumbledore's next words startled him.

"No it wasn't, Blaise. It was the loyalty and affection the Centaurs held for the Unicorns that made it possible. That's why I'm insisting this. Sometimes, the choices you make aren't for your own survival but for the welfare of the ones you consider your own"

XXXXXXXX

The man might have been slightly balmy, but his words made perfect sense, Blaise thought as he looked at the ongoing war. The incident earlier this year crossed his mind, lingering on his last words as he dodged the various colored flashes that flew past him. It was impossible to even attempt to spot a particular person in this mess of a battlefield that had once been the expansive Hogwarts grounds but that didn't seem to deter him. He was looking around for a particular head of honey blond and thought he had found it when the person turned around and he came face to face with Daphne Greengrass who promptly turned away from him. He continued his search until he found her at the heart of the battlefield. Not that the battle was in any particular formation but that was the place where the streaks of light were densest so he assumed as much.

It wasn't easy approaching her but he managed fairly better than either party, because neither of the sides thought him a threat. The benefit of being a neutral party, he mused as he moved single mindedly to reach her side. Which he did just in time to see her finish off one of the three Death Eaters she was dueling. Clearly, her side was outnumbered and she was trying her hardest to make the battle even.

Not that the dark side ever played by the rules, but seeing one of the masked figured creep up from behind her ignited a blinding rage in him that he had never experienced before, and a clutching fear he never wished to feel ever again.

"Incarcerous!" "Stupefy!" "Petrificus Totalus!" hearing the strong voice she knew regrettably well, Luna came upon the sight of Blaise Zabini, flustered and out of breath, holding his wand aloft as he approached her, a part of his attention focused on their surroundings. She seemed unperturbed, merely adding, "You could have avoided the dramatics" indicating the first unfortunate victim before she began scoping out opponents.

"He wasn't playing fair" Blaise stated by way of explanation as he followed her unconsciously, his stance fiercely protective, not even aware that he was eliciting a few surprised looks by his actions.

"And the others were?" even though her eyes were averted in the direction of the battle, he could picture her wondering expression.

"He was cheating, more so than usual. It was underhand and altogether a despicable thing to do"

"Don't be so vicious or people would think you were taking sides" she replied calmly, her wand still held aloft cautiously.

"I am anyway. Taking sides, that is" this comment earned him a glimpse of her surprised expression as she turned to look at him. He could see her face clearly, without the obstruction of her hair wall of hair coming in the middle.

"And may I know whose side you are in?" she was trying to be diplomatic but he had no patience for it today.

"Yours" he replied simply, catching her by the elbow to avoid a jet of murky brown light colliding with her.

"Thanks" she seemed pleased, whether by his declaration or his actions, he didn't know nor did he have the time to ponder as the Death Eaters began retreating, sending as many spells as they could while at it.

He had to take a lot of care to avoid the streams but she deflected them effortlessly. Only later did he learn that it was the effect of the Phoenix Felicis. Right then, he could only admire her skill and composure.

As the last of them disapparated, a commotion behind them caught his attention. Blaise ran towards it, Luna following close behind. He barely caught wind of the words "Dumbledore" "killed" and "Snape" before he reached his destination.

Seeing Dumbledore's lifeless form sprawled at the base of the Astronomy tower brought in him a grief so profound that he could only stand there, staring at the once wise and deep eyes of his former headmaster close for the last time.

When the students, professors and the rest of the present members paid their respects, it was the spark from his wand that rose highest. Afterall, it he owed the Headmaster his life. It was he who had given him the best and perhaps the clearest piece of advice.

A/n: Please do tell me if there was anything awkward or confusing about this chapter.


	6. The Unhealable Wound

Disclaimer: Not JK...

A/n: This is the next to last chapter for the story as you might well know. Hope you liked the story so far and would stay with me for the rest too. Any suggestions, please just leave a review!

Chapter 6: The unhealable wound

#6: When you feel incomplete and worthless without her presence, you know you've lost it.

It was the seventh and final year of his life at Hogwarts and Blaise considered it eventful enough. Mysterious disappearances, attacks on the Ministry, You-Know-Who trying to take over the world, it was a good year. And his Christmas this year had been more tolerable because he had had memories of good times to set off the sour reminders of his parentage. Blaise got off the train feeling like he had escaped Azkaban itself, which, in his opinion, was better than the dreary building that he was supposed to call home. The holidays had been hell, surely, but they only made him look forward to meeting Luna.

Luna, the very thought of her made an absent smile tug at his lips. He still did not know why he liked her, or even what he thought of her as. She never pushed him to choose a term for their relationship, and he had been happy to oblige. Admittedly, the past half year of his life had been more enjoyable than the rest combined and he felt not even the slightest bit of humiliation in admitting that it was because of her.

Of course no one else could understand his weird fascination with the girl, but they did not know anything about her and he intended to keep it that way. Sharing her with her friends was one thing, but his _friends_ meeting her was another thing entirely. It might seem stupid, but made perfect sense to him.

When he entered the Great Hall that evening, he could see the noise level increase unnoticeably. Especially over at the Gryffindor table, he thought he saw several people staring at him with mixed emotions; doubt, pity and most prevalently, anger. What had he done now? Sure he hadn't exactly been chummy with the lot, but he hadn't gone out of his way to harm them either. Why then was Weasley glaring daggers at him?

He tried to ignore the scathing looks as best as he could and sat beside Nott, who was immersed in another of the endless books he seemed to be intent on reading. He looked up momentarily to smirk maliciously at him and muttered a derisive, "Well done" before he went back to studying. Confused, Blaise stared at Nott's head until he looked up with irritation in his eyes. His tone was unforgiving when he spoke.

"I thought you were turning human, should have known. Didn't you ever like her at all?"

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"Lovegood, Blaise. I have to admit, your plan was clever. You trapped her quite well with your charm. Poor girl must have been heart broken when she learnt of your treachery"

"What happened to Luna?" his voice was trembling and he had a death grip on the table lest he let his thin layer of composure go. Dread was filling in him alarmingly fast, washing away his anger. But his anxiety was another thing, mounting until he felt he'd die if Nott tarried a second longer.

"Nice act, Blaise. As if you didn't know that she was abducted from the train when we left." Nott tried to turn back to his reading but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Abducted? L…Luna? Why?" though his words were broken, his mind was compensating, jumping from one scene of torture to another. No doubt his imagination was inflicting more pain on him than Luna could ever endure there. Nott looked genuinely surprised at his bafflement and the first sliver of pity laced his question.

"You didn't know?" Blaise shook his head and his answer seemed mechanical, already lacking the emotion it had held so far.

"I…I apparated home. I wasn't on the train when…Merlin! She was abducted? Where to? Do you know? Why was she taken away? Was it because of Potter? She knew nothing of him!"

"Calm down, Blaise. We all know that, but there's nothing that we can_ do_ about it." Draco cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something before he thought better of it and only said, "Meet me at the commonroom in an hour" before he looked back to his plate like he hadn't spoken at all. Blaise and Nott exchanged glances before they went back to their food. But Blaise had lost his appetite and left the Hall soon to walk around the castle. It had been one of the things they both liked doing. Luna had always been interested in learning about the passages and tapestries and he had indulged her curiosity. She especially liked to talk to portraits and he had been the sole witness to some of the most humorous conversations she had had with them.

He smiled wistfully thinking of those days now, as he braced himself against the biting cold wind that blew all through the castle. He knew it was the Dementors and the general climate but it felt more like the ice that had frozen inside him had seeped out. Feeling suddenly lonely, he jogged to the commonroom and reached it just as Draco was about to enter.

Seating himself beside Nott at his usual place on one end of the couch, he tried to fake disinterest as he listened to Draco explain in hushed tones the events that had occurred during Christmas at the Malfoy Manor. When Draco had begun explaining, Blaise had been bent on blaming him for everything but in the end, he could only pity the guy for all that he had gone through. It might have also resulted from the fact that he knew Luna was safe. At any rate, his restlessness subsided.

A week later, Ginny Weasley confronted him in the middle of a deserted corridor, which had become almost his regular haunt, and apologized to him for making assumptions. He was dumb struck and replied that he was least worried, which was apparently the wrong thing to say for the little weasel grinned conspiratorially at him and left with just a "Now you say that". He forgot all about it, since worrying about what Weasley thought of him wasn't his botheration.

Having nothing to do now besides acting like a loser, Blaise chose to throw himself into his studies and discovered that he had a penchant for healing. Having found an ambition worth pursuing, the next few months saw him immersed in books about healing and Herbology alternatively. Even Nott was beginning to get worried, but Blaise was ignorant of the concerned looks which his house was giving him. He knew he would be useful to someone someday, only he didn't expect that day to come so soon.

When the war had come, the rest of his house had scampered out of the castle at the first chance but he had headed in the opposite direction; the direction of the Infirmary. He knew people would be hurt; war meant causalities, and he was determined to avoid as much of it as he could. It mattered not which side he was; his wish was to save lives; worthy or unworthy was not his concern. Nott followed him, more out of loyalty to him than interest but Blaise did not object. The more the merrier, as they say. Bursting into the Hospital Wing, they startled Madame Pompfrey who hadn't heard about the impending battle yet. But she trusted their words and graciously accepted their help both before and after the war.

Blaise lost count of the number of spells he cast that day, or the number of potions he brewed, or the number of wary victims he treated, but one in particular stood out. She wasn't hurt very badly, but his heart clenched all the same at the sight of her, limping into the room. Leaving the potion he was heating to simmer, he rushed to her side, helping her to one of the free beds nearest the entrance. His hand trembled slightly as he checked her for spell damage or internal wounds. Finding none, he let out a breath he did not know he had been holding. Her leg though, was another matter entirely. It was badly broken and Blaise was sure the bones were too much in repair to be mended overnight. They'd knit together eventually, but the process would be a painful one.

"Your leg…" she looked up at him for the first time that day, her eyes filling with tears of pain. It was torture for him to see, so he averted his eyes instead, opting for putting it up in a sling.

"A part of the castle wall fell on it" she replied in a clogged, broken tone that was completely unlike her; he flinched at the image. Treating Lavender Brown's scars had been a walk in the park compared to even hearing about her injury. He quickly called for Madame Pompfrey and moved to the next patient, unwilling to torment himself by watching her suffer. He could feel her steady gaze on his back as he retreated, but he did not turn.

The next he saw her was a week later when she had healed enough to hold a clear head. A head clear enough to accuse him of not wanting to be near her when she was hurt, a head deluded enough to think that something other than his affections for her had rendered his presence impossible.

That was the last he saw of her for a while. A decade, almost.

A/n: Review please?


	7. A Change Unchangeable

Disclaimer: Not JK….

A/n: The last chapter, I'm all teary eyed. I never thought I'd actually finish this story so fast when I began writing it. But you my readers have helped me a lot, I can't thank you enough. So thanks to whoever took the time to read, favorite, put on alert, review, or even just browse through the story! On to the chapter!

Chapter 7: A change unchangeable

#7: When your patronus is more hare-ish than jaguar-ish, you know she's changed you forever.

Blaise walked along the street, exhausted. His shifts at St Mungo's were long and demanding and left him feeling worn out by the end. It was another one of those days when he'd just enter his apartment and go straight to bed, not even bothering to change out of his horrible uniform(lime green, honestly? Did Bonham have something against the Healers?), or even pay any mind to his rumbling stomach. He was walking towards the nearest fireplace with a floo connection, because, fatigued as he was, he'd probably splinch himself trying to apparate. The nearest shop was two streets away, but it appeared to Blaise as if it was two countries away as he dragged himself to place step after step before he fell flat on the platform. His eyes were almost closed and he had no chance of ever knowing if anyone was coming towards him. And that was why he stumbled into another person and he thought he smelled something familiar before he was thrown back. Balancing himself on the nearby wall, he opened his eyes wide, looking at the person lying on the pavement. His sleep cleared hurriedly, leaving him with only the weariness as he stared at Luna Lovegood, as she lay sprawled on the sidewalk, her heavy bag that had slammed into him lying by her side.

Shaking aside his shock, he lent her a hand, which she took after a bit of hesitation. Her azure eyes were wary and guarded as they met his, an expression he had seen in her eyes only long back. Indeed, it had been too long since he had seen her, the last being that fateful day in the Infirmary after the battle. He flinched as her accusations came to his memory, but she interpreted it wrongly.

"Glad to know I still elicit the same reaction from you, Zabini" Atleast she was talking to him. Blaise considered it an improvement from her refusal to see him. But her words pricked him and he snapped.

"Correct me if I am wrong, but it was you that refused to see me, to be treated by me. Pardon me if that doesn't sting a bit"

"You know quite well why I did that Zabini, and don't you dare pretend otherwise" her eyes flashed with disapproval as she stood ramrod straight and glared at him.

"Oh, yes, who could forget those darn stupid incriminations you threw at me?"

"Incr…It was the truth and I was saving you the disgust of having to tend to me."

"Disgust? Who me? Listen to yourself, Luna. If you think I'm so shallow a person that I'd be affected by a little wound you had,….well, I don't have much else to tell you" she turned to go away but his scathing tone stopped her in her tracks.

"Of course, run away like always. Isn't that what you do best? Run away rather than face the fact that you made quick assumptions" she turned to him with conflicted eyes, and Blaise knew if he messed up now, he'd probably never get a chance in his life.

"Aren't you even going to ask me? Don't you trust me even that much, Luna?" he took a hold of her hands, fully expecting her to slap them away, but she only looked up at him with those seamless blue eyes, shining as bright as he had ever seen them.

"But, but I saw you turn away from me, Blaise. How could I not believe my own eyes?" her voice was softening, the nearest they had come to her original dreamy tone.

"I wasn't…it wasn't that you were hurt, Luna, never that. I just couldn't watch you suffer so much. I was afraid I'd mess up your healing process if I treated you because I'd fidget and be anxious and that might interfere with my spells"

"You mean you were afraid _for_ me?" she dead panned, and he chuckled. He never could hide anything from her.

"I was…I couldn't see you like that. Your eyes clouded in pain and, and…I blanched" he looked away, reliving the painful memory. She removed her hand from his grip to move them to his chin, turning him to face her.

"I'm sorry." With that she pressed her lips to his, her arms going around his shoulder. Her lips were soft, and smelled of peppermint, but he couldn't be bothered to analyse anything. All he could think of was the woman in his arms, the girl who had stared up at him with innocent blue eyes all those years ago. They drew apart and he saw that she was smiling widely, as if a weight had been lifted off her. He completely empathized, since he felt that same way too.

"Am I forgiven?" he asked with a glint in his eye, but she shook her head.

"You could have confronted me about it earlier. You let me suffer for years" she smiled, showing that she was joking.

"So, what should I do to make up?" his hands circled her waist to draw her closer, if that was at all possible.

"Suffer for the rest of your life with me?" she asked it as a question, but there was no doubt in her tone.

"Doesn't sound much like a reprimand" she laughed at his amused grin before replying with.

"Oh it will be, when you have to deal with all my friends. I'm actually heading over to meet them. I should probably start with your punishment right about now. Let's go"

"Okay!" he was nervous, and Luna couldn't help but peck him on the lips. He was just being too cute.

"You might be surprised, but they, Ginny and 'Mione in particular, were adamant that you weren't like, what I assumed"

"How can I suffer, when I have such ardent supporters?"

"Oh, don't let it get to your head, there's still Harry and Ron. And Neville too"

"No worries. I'll impress them all with my endless charm"

"And dry, non-existent humor, yeah" she replied snarkily, and took her wand out of its place behind her ear, but he interrupted.

"Are we apparating?"

"No. I'm just sending a Patronus to inform them that you're coming with me"

"Why don't I do that? Won't it be a jolt for them all?"

"Why, I never thought of that. Sure" as soon as he cast his Patronus, he turned to see her watching him with wide eyes.

"What is it?"

"You Patronus…It's not a Jaguar anymore" she accused, but there was an undertone of wonder to it. She had taught him that spell in their sixth year and back then, his best memory had been of walking with her along the corridors of the castle at night. It still was, but his Patonus had changed form.

"Yeah, it…kind of, morphed into a mix of a jaguar and a hare, around seventh year I think" he seemed embarrassed, but she prodded further.

"Do you know when that happens?" she asked softly, looking at him tenderly.

"Yeah, when something, or someone affects you so much that your whole world shifts to a new axis. That's what the book said but it was in the form of poetry so I have no idea if that's the right definition or…" she placed a finger on his lips.

"Shh…don't spoil my happiness."

"What?"

"I always thought you didn't care much for me and…" it was now her turn to be embarrassed and his to exclaim incredulously.

"So all I had to do was do a spell to prove it to you?"

"No, all you had to do was taunt me, help me, stay beside me, and…pick my side"

A/n: Sappy…sappy…sappy. Why do all my last chapters end that way? Must be because I'm a damned romantic. Oh well, you know the drill…

Review! Last chance!


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